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It’s been a while since I have blogged on the topic “Musculation”, so I’m going to correct this by offering a video of the sports coach Marc Fitt to help you strengthen and build your shoulders.
Best and the Broadest Shoulder Workout
Your shoulders are perhaps the first sign that people take stock in when assessing your physique. Along with sculpted lats and a trim waist, broad, powerful shoulders are part of the trifecta for creating a solid V-shape taper.
If you’ve been looking to broaden your horizons, so to speak, here are the proven guidelines when it comes to performing the most effective shoulder exercises.
Go beyond standard presses
Dumbbell and barbell presses are necessary, but they will only work the lateral (middle) deltoid head. To build true 3D shoulder definition, you’ll need to incorporate movements that work the posterior and anterior heads as well. Ignoring these front to back shoulder groups is the most common mistake lifters make when trying to build out their shoulders.
Focus on all three deltoid groups
As mentioned above, a truly great shoulder workout works all of your shoulder—and there are three heads to consider: the lateral, anterior, and posterior heads. By working every angle of your shoulders, your overall appearance will trend more towards the coveted “V-taper” that so many lifters are after.
Anterior deltoids are your front-facing group, and if worked properly, give that satisfying bulge through your shirt. Posterior deltoids, seen from both the side and back give away the true heft of your shoulder muscle mass.
Build strength
Building mass in the shoulders takes continually adding weight, plain and simple. This means that each and every time you work this sometimes-stubborn muscle group, you must increase reps and/or resistance. A simple principle, yes, but one that is especially effective when it comes to the shoulders. Track your workouts carefully to ensure you’re not skimping on progress here.
Create variety in your program
Plateaus happen, and to combat them, you must build variety into your repertoire of shoulder movements. Having a rolodex of 15 shoulder exercises that you’re familiar with, practicing 5 at a time and changing them up every few weeks, is key for combatting this shoulder-building standstill. You can also experiment with modifying your repetitions and rest periods between each movement.
Exercises to include
The following 6 exercises are tried and true shoulder-builders. For each of these shoulder-shapers remember that form is key to preventing injury. Avoid behind the neck movements at all costs and have a spotter (or mirror) on hand to ensure you don’t fall out of line when increasing weights.
- Dumbbell Shoulder Press — Aim for 5-10 reps for a total of 4 sets.
- Standing Barbell Military Press — 5 reps in 4 sets for this one, will a full 2 min rest time between each set.
- Dumbbell Lateral Raises — 4 sets of 6-10 reps each, aiming for a pace of 2:1 release to raise time.
- Dumbbell Shrug — Aim for 8-12 reps over 4 sets of this lateral deltoid builder.
- Seated Dumbbell Rear Deltoid Raise — Resting about a minute in between sets, aim for 10-15 reps over 4 sets.
10 Best shoulder workouts for men
The following are the ten best shoulder workouts for men:
1. Lateral raise
Lateral raises are good shoulders workouts that any man can do to grow muscle. Men can perform this workout differently, either with a pair of dumbbells, a cable machine, a resistance band, or improvised weights such as water bottles. Lateral raise has proved to be the best among many shoulder workouts because it helps develop lateral deltoid muscles and improves the shoulder’s stability.
For men to do lateral raises, one should stand up straight with arms relaxed by their sides. If one has a pair of dumbbells or any improvised weights, they should raise their arms until it forms a 90-degree angle. One should control their movement as they slowly lower their weight. After that, one should put together the lateral raise with a pair of front lateral raises, one arm or two, targeting the anterior deltoids.
I encourage any man to do front raises because it can be easier if one has any improvised weights. One should do this workout by standing straight with arms relaxed by their sides and then slowly raising arms straight in front. One should ensure that the resistance engages the anterior deltoids.
2. Push-ups
This workout is the best type of physical exercise any man can’t hesitate to do. Push-ups are well known for strength and muscle building. I want to advise any individual who wants to grow muscle to engage in a lot of push-ups. The most exciting thing about this particular physical exercise is that an individual can do it anywhere, and it doesn’t require any equipment; thus, it is very affordable.
To do the usual push-ups, one needs to go down on all fours, stretch their legs behind them and lower their upper body. Stay in this position for some seconds, and then push yourself back up parallel to the floor. There are different types of push-ups that men can perform to grow muscle and can be classified as the following:
- Incline push-up- Any man can achieve this enjoyable workout by elevating their body using a chair or a bench.
- Push-back push-up- This is the most uncomplicated push-up that a man can do to grow their shoulders. It involves the folding of the knees and keeping the body in a frog-like posture.
- Diamond push-up- I consider this workout very easy, and any man can engage in this exercise more often by just putting their hands together to form a diamond shape.
- Pike push-up- This type of push-up only needs a man to adopt an inverted V-shape rather than keeping their bodies straight.
- Wide push-ups- I advise any man to perform wide push-ups because it doesn’t involve much. A man can grow muscle by keeping their hands further apart.
- Cross-body push-up- This type of push-up might be a little difficult for a man because one has to lift a leg and cross it above the other while lowering the body.
- Staggered push-up- Another enjoyable workout that any man can do to grow muscle. It involves the staggering of hands by moving one up to ten to fifteen centimeters away from the shoulders and then the other hand down, ten to fifteen centimeters towards the waist.
3. Incline bench press
I encourage any man to do an incline bench press because it is among the best physical workouts that can help grow the muscles of the shoulders. For any man to do the incline bench press, follow this procedure: Ensure that your bench is at an angle of 45 degrees, then engage in a standard shoulder press by lifting a dumbbell in each hand. The incline bench press is well known for strengthening the chest’s connection to the shoulders. I would recommend this type of workout to any man.
4. Crab walk
Crab walk is a physical exercise that has many benefits to men. I recommend it because it does help not only the shoulders alone but also improves the core, arm, and legs muscles.
To make a crab walk triumphant, a man should be in a sitting position, then bridge the hips from the ground and bend your knees while supporting yourself using his hands. Crab walk exercise is suitable because it ensures that men get a full-body workout. This exercise also involves crawling and especially by moving one hand along with the opposite foot.
5. Cable face pulls
It is essential for any man to regularly practice cable face pulls since it does good to lateral and posterior deltoids and trapezius, among others. This workout is effortless because one has to stand in front of a cable machine, then cable in hand at shoulder height. Then after that, bend your elbows slightly, pulling them towards your face in an upward manner.
6. Straight arm circles
I want to encourage men to warm up before doing any workout and especially by performing arm circles. The best thing about arm circles is that any man can do it anywhere. One can achieve this exercise by standing up straight then extending arms to form a T shape. One can create circles with components until they get a full range of motion.
Straight arm circles are essential for they improve mobility. Individuals who want to develop muscle mass in their shoulders should engage in linear arm circles.
7. Dumbbell shoulder push press
A man should regularly do dumbbell shoulder push presses because they mainly engage deltoids and trapezius. Another benefit of this workout is that it improves the glutes, core, and quads. For dumbbell shoulder push press, one should first start by holding dumbbells at shoulder level. Then slightly bend your knees and lower your torso as you exhale. Finally, stand up straight as you raise your arms above your head. Try this exercise more often for good results.
8. Prone T
A man should engage in this type of exercise, for it is best known to improve one’s stability. One can do it by lying their belly on a bench with their head, neck, and spine aligned. Then form a T shape with your arms.
9. Overhead press
This workout is also another good exercise to indulge in because it helps develop strength and muscle mass. It is suitable for a man as it targets deltoids, triceps, and trapezius.
The overhead press, also known as overhead shoulder press, involves lifting a dumbbell to shoulder level and doing an overhead press by raising the dumbbell over the head. Another similar exercise of overhead press is the military press. While overhead press involves standing shoulder-width apart, the military media requires one to keep their feet together.
10. The Standing cable pulley fly
This type of workout mainly focuses on the deltoid muscles and the chest. One is expected to use two cables at chest height and extend arms to their sides while standing still. Then take a step forward as you lower the weights slowly and let your shoulders open up. It is the best exercise that any man can do as many times as he can.
Never forget to work your shoulders
Like the legs, the shoulders are often forgotten by fitness enthusiasts. For the shoulders are muscles not to neglected because they play an important role.
The deltoid nerve is a powerful muscle of the shoulder. It plays an important role in muscle-building parts of the body, especially to strengthen your pecs. Without strength in the arms and shoulder, It will prove very difficult to carry out effective couched benchmarking.
Another important point, working one’s shoulders helps to get a larger body and therefore to develop your build. Developed shoulders also bring out the musculature of your arms and highlight it.
You understand you must not neglect your shoulders. Marc Fitt presents a video presenting some exercises to muscling your shoulders in the room easily and clearly.
I invite you to take a few minutes to learn about its program of shoulder training:
Pic : Marc Fitt’s Instagram
